Curcumin as Prospective Anti-Aging Natural Compound: Focus on Brain

Abstract

The nutrients and their potential benefits are a new field of study in modern medicine for their positive impact on health. Curcumin, the yellow polyphenolic compound extracted from Curcuma longa species, is widely used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine to prevent and contrast many diseases, considering its antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, cardio-protective, nephron-protective, hepato-protective, anti-neoplastic, and anti-rheumatic proprieties. In recent years, the investigations of curcumin have been focused on its application to aging and age-associated diseases. Aging is a physiological process in which there is a decreasing of cellular function due to internal or external stimuli. Oxidative stress is one of the most important causes of aging and age-related diseases. Moreover, many age-related disorders such as cancer, neuroinflammation, and infections are due to a low-grade chronic systemic inflammation. Curcumin acting on different proteins is able to contrast both oxidative stress than inflammation. In the brain, curcumin is able to modulate inflammation induced by microglia. Finally in brain tumors curcumin is able to reduce tumor growth by inhibition of telomerase activity. This review emphasizes the anti-aging role of curcumin focusing on its mechanism to counteract aging in the brain. Moreover, new formulations to increase the bioavailability of curcumin are discussed.

Potential Role of Curcumin for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

“…This is demonstrated by lower levels of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants; increased concentrations of oxidative and nitrosative stress markers such as malondialdehyde, protein carbonyls, thiols, and nitrotyrosines; and altered activity of nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide production [ 98 , 99 ]. As an antioxidant, curcumin can lower levels of malondialdehyde, protein carbonyls, thiols, and nitrotyrosines; increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase; increase reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species scavenging activity; and protect against the overproduction of nitric oxide [ 47 , 100 – 102 ]. In animal stress models, curcumin has protected against increases in oxidative stress by lowing malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl concentrations, and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase [ 10 , 38 , 39 , 55 ].…”

Inflammaging and Brain: Curcumin and Its Beneficial Potential as Regulator of Microglia Activation

“…Curcumin's pleiotropic activity in regulating various inflammatory mechanisms in aging models may lay the foundation for it to be proposed as a potential anti-inflammaging agent. This versatile compound, thus, seems able to suppress the molecular and cellular pathways associated with inflammation having huge potential to be used in the prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders typically observed during the aging process (Figure 5) [169]. Combination of standard protocols and novel therapies with natural plant extracts, including curcumin, is an auspicious approach in the prevention of development and treatment of inflammaging-linked chronic inflammatory disorders and in particular to those responsible for the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.…”

Ageing, Age-Related Cardiovascular Risk and the Beneficial Role of Natural Components Intake

“…Natural components have been proven to be excellent scavenger and anti-inflammatory factors that could limit the alterations of intracellular communication. For example, curcumin was found to attenuate exercise-induced oxidative stress and inflammation via the modulation of glutathione (GSH), catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes as well as the inhibition of ROS-generating enzymes, including lipoxygen-ase/cyclooxygenase and xanthine hydrogenase/oxidase [ 159 , 160 ]. Curcumin inhibits the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells’ (NF-κB) signalling dependent inflammation; thus, it diminishes the intensity of inflamm-aging.…”